Elevator fire-door.



IVI. GELIVIORE.

ELEVATOR FIRE DOOR.

v APPLlcAloN FILED 1AN.2|. Isls.

Patented May 7,1918.

z SHEETS-SHEET l.

Wi. GELMURE.

ELEVATOR FIRE DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2I. |9164 Patented. May "i, MMS.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- i 4rbm IIAJLD GILMDRE, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

nrlnvn'ron, rinus-noon.

recante.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ltfay t, 11916.

application led January 21, 1916. Serial No. 73,298.

f To all whom it ma concern.'

155 the supporting wal 14 so that the outstandy `in Fig. 1, and

Be itv known lt at I, RD- GILMORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicagdin the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Elevator Fire- Doors, of which the following is a specification.

'My inventionrelates to an improved elevator fire door construction of the counterbalanced type in which the door consists of two panels vertically movable and connected together so that one panel balances the other, and my invention relates particularly to improved devices for securing the panels together when in their closed position and an improved means of support for the lower panel whenl in its open position. My inven tion also provides an improved vguiding means for the panels, which guiding means while itv is shown in connection with the particular type of door disclosed in the drawings, is also applicable to other types of sliding doors in which it is desirable to reduce the amount of friction of the guides.

The several drawings illustrating my in- Vention are as follows:

Figure l'shows in elevation my vdoor con- 4 struction completely assembled.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View of one of the vertical guides taken along .the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, with the door construction in its open position,

Fig. 3is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 taken through one of the vertical guides along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1,

Fig.' 4 is a `sectional view of the upper edge of the upper panel of the door taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig.4 showing a section of the lower part of the lower panel of the door taken along the line 5--5 Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the parts shown in Fig; 1 taken along the line 6-6.

Similar numerals refer to similar partsstruction consists of the upper panel 10 and the lower panel 11 arranged to move vertically in the guides 12 and `13, which guides, as shown more clearly for the guide 13 in Fig. `2, each consists of two angle bars 13et and 13b bolted t0 ether as shown and to ing flange of the an le bar 13b is substantially parallel with t e face of the walt 14 and forms a channel between the angle bar and the wall for guiding one edge of the upper and lower panels. The bolts 15 used to hold the angle bars 131L and 13b together have preferably located upon them under the ends of said bolts washers 15a, which are preferably of any desired material that will yield under the application of high temperature to release the bolts and permit the angle bars 13a and 13b to move longitudina ly of each other so that distortion of the guides 12 and 13 will not occur before the application of such temperatures. Clearance slots are preferably provided in one or both of the angle bars 13a and 13b to receive the bolts 15 to permit this operation to take place.

rlhe upper and lower panels of the door are connected together as follows: Sheaves 16 and 17 are mounted adjacent to the upper portions of the guides 12 and 13 as more clearly shown in Figs, 1 and 2 by means of Z bars 16a and 17, securely held in place by the bolts 18 and 19, which extend through i ported by bent bars 22 and 23 extending around the sheaves and secured at their ends to the outstanding flanges of the Z bars. Chains 24 and 25 pass around. the sheaves 16 and 17 and are secured at their inner ends to brackets 26 and 27 secured to the upper panel 10 and also to the ends of the transverse bar 28 'extending across the lower portion of the outer face ofsaid panel between said brackets and said panel. The outer ends ofthe chains 24 and 25 are connected by tie rods 29 and 30 with the pro-v jecting ends of the trucking bar 31 secured to the upper edge of the lower panel 11. This trucking bar preferably conslsts of an angle bar so thatvits upper or outstanding flange may ll the slot between the Hoor and the wall provided for receiving through it the lower panel 11.

Whenthe door is in its openposition the' outstanding Hange of the trucking bar 31 rests upon a supporting bar 32 extending .completely across the opening between the guides and having its ends downwardly bent to `clear the lower ends of the connections with. the tie rods 29 and 30, and these downwai ly bent ends are directly supported from the wall '14 by means of bolts 33, suitable spacing blocks 34 being employed to relieve the guides of the strain that might otherwise be brought upon them. When the door is open the upper surface of the outstanding iange of the trucking bar 3l is flush with the surface of the floor and the lower surface of said outstanding flange rests directly upon the supporting bar 32, thus bringing any load placed upon the trucking bar in. moving articles on to or from the elevator directly upon the supporting bar instead of causing the trucking bar to take said load. This is a marked improvement over constructions in which the trucking bar is depended upon to take the load, for the reason that the angle forming said trucking bar in such eases must be much heavier, and as a result the opening through the floor for receiving the lower panel must be considerably wider.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the upperedge of the upper panel 10 and the lower edge of the panel 11 are formed into rearwardly projecting lianges 10a and 11a respectively provided with apertures through them for receiving the retaining hooks 35 and 36 respectively, which are supported from and rigidly secured to the wall of the building. These hooks are so formed that by their engagement with the flanges referred to the upper and lower edges of the upper and lower panels respectively are held closely to the wall to provide against the possibility of their buckling outward under the application of high temperature.

An important feature of my invention consists in the means employed for securing the two panels of the door together when in their closed position, and the construction employed for this purpose consists of a cen tral latch 37 of bell crank conformation pivoted at 33 to the bar 28 andthus to the lower portion of the panel 10. The horizontally extending portion of the latch forms the handle and the vertically extending portion thereof has formed at its lower end a hook for passing through a corresponding slot in the outstanding flange of the trucking bar 31 so as to securely hold the two panels together when the latch is in the position indi cated in Fig. 1. The relation of these parts .is also indicated in Fig. 6. ln addition to the latch 37 safety latches 39 and 40 are provided, which are pivotally supported at 41 and 42 to the lower portion of the panel 10 and provided attheir lower ends with hooks similar to the hook on the latch 37, the principal difference being that these safety latches are so disposed that when the latch 37 is in its engaging position indicated `amount as indicated in Fig. 1.

in Figs. 1 and 6, the hooks on the safety latches clear the under side of the outstanding flange of the trucking bar by a small rlhe safety latches 39 and 40 are connected together by a horizontal bar 43 pivotally secured to them at its ends, and this bar is provided at its middle portion with a slot 44 through which a stud or bolt 45 secured to the latch 37 projects. rlhe slot 44 is so conformed that during the operation of engagement between the latches and the trucking bar if for any reason the panels are not brought sufficiently close together so that the latch 37 engages the trucking bar to retain it in closed position the safety latches 39 and 40 will operate somewhat in advance of the latch 37 so as to provide a measure of safety in this respect that could not be secured by the use of the latch 37 alone. Also when all of the latches are in their locking position indicated in Fig. 1 if for any reason the main latch 37 should fail, the safety latches 39 and 40 are in position to prevent separation of the panels from each other, which might occur if the panels were not held together. rlihe slot 44 is so proportioned that when the latch 37 is rotated around to the left on its pivot 33, the stud or pin 45 moves the bar 43, and thus throws the latches 39 and 40 to their releasing position so that the panels may be freely moved away from each other. As a result of the weight of the handle of the latch 37, all of the latches move to their engaging posit-ion under the action of gravity and to prevent movement of the latches too far to the left to properly engage the corresponding slots in the outstanding lange of the trucking bar 31 the inner end of the handle of the latch 37 is made suliiciently wide as indicated at 37 to engage the top surface of the bar 43 when the latches are in substantially vertical position so that the latches are held at all times in such position as to enter the slots provided for them in the trucking bar.

ln connection with elevator doors of the kind under consideration it sometimes occurs that the connecting chains give way, with the result that both panels at once drop to the lower part -of theguides, leaving the upper part of the opening into the elevator wall open, and for this condition tire could pass freely through said opening. 'lo provide against this I provide stops 46 and 47 on the guides 12 and 13 respectively, which stops consist of flat angle bars secured to said guides and having projecting arms extending into the path of the brackets 26 and 27 respectively and located below said brackets so that the upper panel 10 will be supported in its closed position instead of dropping with the lower panel if for any reason the chains or their supports should break.

As indicated in the drawings, the panels pri Leonora l0 and ll are formed of corrugated iron and at their vertical edges aslindicated at 10b and lll outstanding` ydanges are formed on them to substantially till the space between they opposite sides of the guideways which are parallel with the plane ofthe door, the being sudiciently' removed from the other flanges of the guide angles to adord the proper clearance to allow for expansion of thedoor under high temperature. lt has been found heretofore that the construction described Sil ' the lll Apart ot' the guide ways.

adords considerable resistance tothe opera tion ot the doors on' account of the large amount of 'bearingsurotace and the rough and uneven surface oitl thewall forming a 'lo eliminate this diculty and maintain the panels in as nearly as possible the saine position in the guide ways, l provide auxiliary' guiding means consisting of the bent bars lil for the panel and llc for the panel il, these bars. being secured near the itlour corners ot each panel and each bar being termed 'at its 'outer end as' indicated in Fig 3 so that its bent U shaped end passes around the outer edge of 'the outstanding flange oi" the corresponding' guide way with just suicient clearance so that the guide bar may nuove freely upon said ilange. 'lhese bars' are seM cured to thepanelsby suitable bolts as in dicated in ligs. l and 3, which. bolts'pass through longitudinal slots 'therefor the guiding bars to facilitate proper adjustment oit' the guiding bars, As a result of the construction. ol the bars a minimum amount ol bearing surface between the guide I bars and gnide is used, and since the only-bearing surfaces of the guides involved' are parte of rolled angle bars, the yamrnint of friction of these bearing surfaces is reduced to 'a minimum without, however, in any way inter-tering with the expansionv of the panels under high temperature for the reason that the guide bars will either readily bend to permit lateral expansion of the panels or they will slip at theirpoints oiE connection to the panels as a result ot the slots through them referred to.

' that the retaining hoolrs 35 and From the above description it 36 cooperate effectively with the `upper and lower edges of" the top vand bottoni panels respectively as a result of the manner in which the panels are guided, for by the" accuracy possible by in construction the hooks register better' with the openings formed in the Aedges of the panels to receive them and it is possible to make a closer joint between the edges of the panels and the wall by means of thel retaining hoolts than would be the case il the panels were comparatively loose in the channels between the angle vbar guides and the wall. lt will be understood that the panels are rnade usually ot thin trucking bar,

vwill appear idly supported guiding the panels with vthe upper panel in its closed position if for any reason the counter balancing connection between the two panels is broken, and in this manner the weight of the upper panel is prevented from coming upon the upper retaining hook 35.

While l have shown my invention in the particular einbodiments herein disclosed, it will be understood, however, that l` do not limit myself to these exact constructions as l may employ equivalents thereof without departing from the' spirit of my invention.

hln a door for elevators, the combination of avertically movable door for closing the opening in a wall, said' door being movable downward to open the same and having rigidly secured to its upper edge a trucking bar, and a supporting bar supported clear lromsaid wall and rigidly secured thereto tor supportingl said trucking bar in its open position for receiving the load that may be placed upon said trucking bar.

2. ln a door for elevators, the combination of vertically movable door lor closing the opening in a wall, said door being movable downward to open the saine and having .rigidly secured to its upper edge a and a supporting har supported clear trom said wall and rigidly secured thereto for supporting said trucking bar in its open position for receiving the load that may be placed upon said trucking bar, said lill) ldd 4trucking bar consisting of an angle bar the outstanding dange of which is su ported ,tor substantially its entire length ily said supporting bar when said door is in lits open position lio 3. lin a door tor elevators, the combina-- tion eta vertically movable door for closing a doorway in a wall, said door bein mov- .able downward through a slot in the oor'to open the saine and having at its upper edge M5 a trucking` bar, and a supporting har rigdirectly from said wall for supporting said trucking bar in its open position dush with the Hoor lor receiving the load that may be placed upon said trucking bar, said trucking bar in its open position closing; said slot. y

d, ln a door for elevators., the combination or a door vertically moivable adjacent a doorway through a wall, a trucking bar carried by the upper edge of the door,\ and a supporting bar carried by the wall dutside of said door, whereby said door moves between said wall and said ysupporting bar, said supportin g bar being located at such a 13o" height on the Wall as to support said trucking bar substantially in the plane o the floor when the door is in its open position.

5. In a door for elevators, lie combination of a. door vertically movable adjacent a doorway through a Wall, a trucking bar carried by the upper edge of the door, and a supporting bar carried by the Wall outside of said door, whereby said door moves be tween said wall and said supporting bai', said supporting bar being located at such aheight; on the Wall as to support said trucki ing bar substantially in the plane of the ioor when the' door is inv its open position, Said trucking bar'having an outstanding flange supported throughout substantially its whole length by said supporting bar when the door is in its open posltion.

ln Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe lili my name this 10th day of January, A.. D. 26

MKLLARD GILMGRE. 

